Coop.



No. 886,278.v PATENTED APR. 28, 1908. 4 C. B. TREAT.

COOP.

4APPLICATION FILED MAR. v1'?, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

2^ Jaim@ 7 v l M? i W l No. 886,278. PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

G. B. TREAT.

. COOP.

APPLICATION FILED 11.13.17. 1906.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

n n 1I' 'y 11111111111111111111/1. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\wv* 1 EHI il UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES B. TREAT, OF BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN.

COOP.

To all whom it may concern: f

Be it known that I, CHARLES B. TREAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buchanan, in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Coops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coo s or crates for transporting poultry and the iike, and the object of the invention is to provide a collapsible or folding coop or crate embodying one or more decks or floors and so constructed that the coo or crate as a whole maybe folded compact y without disconnecting any of the main portions or members thereof, the article when folded, occupying but small space and yet constituting when set up, a practical, reliable and thoroughly braced crate.

lith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanyinodrawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a coop or crate em bodying the present invention, shown eX- tended or set up ready for use. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same. Fig. 3 is across-section thereof. Fig. 4 is also a cross-section, showing the coop partially folded. Fig. 5 is a top ptfan view of the coop or crate nearly folded. Fig. 6 is a detail vertical section through one corner of the coop or crate taken on the line with one of the corner bolts.

The coop or crate contemplated in this invention is preferably of slatted construction; that is to say, the' coop comprises slatted sides 1, slatted ends 2, and a slatted lid or cover 3. In connection with the sides and ends, corner posts 4 are employed and the slats of the sides extend horizontally and are permanently secured at their opposite ends to said posts. The posts are connected by end crossbars 5, 6 and 7, and under the preferred embodiment of the invention, where more than two end cross-bars are employed at each end of the crate, or, in other words, where a double deck or double iioor coop is required and one or more intermediate crossbars 6 are required to support the intermediate floor or floors, the corner posts 4 are divided, as best illustrated in Fig. 1, so that the extremities of the intermediate cross- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application led March 17, 1906.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Serial No 306,622.

jacent ends of the sections of the posts 4, the post sections and all of the cross-bars 5, 6 and 7 being secured firmly together by corner bolts 8 passing centrally through the posts from top to bottom, as shown in Fi s. 3 and 4 and indicated in Fig. 6. The bo ts 8 also form four pivots located at the four corners of the crate upon which the sides and ends swing in order that the coop may be folded, as shown in Fig. 5, the sides folding inward and maintaining their parallel relation, while the ends are also folded inward in parallel planes until the sides closely approach each other. l

The bottom of the coop comprises oppositely arranged fioor sections 9, the inner edges of which extend longitudinally of the coop and approach each other quite closely when in their position of use. Each of the floor sections 9 is provided at its outer edge with longitudinally extending pintles or trunnions 10 which are received in corresponding bearing openings 11 in the corner posts, as best shown in Fig. 6. Secured to the under side of the iioor sections 9 are cleats 12 which lie just inside of the bottom end cross-bars 7 so that when the floor sections are folded downward to their horizontal position, the cleats 12 cooperate With the end cross-bars 7 and act as stops to prevent the accidental folding of the coop. In this way, the iioor sections act as locks for the sides and ends of the coop or crate. When one or more intermediate oors are used, the sections 13 thereof are constructed and arranged in the same manner as the floor sections 9, as illustrated in Fig. 3, being pivotally connected along their outer edges to the corner posts 4, and also provided with cleats 14 on their under sides which coact with the intermediate cross-bars 6, acting as additional stops or locks to prevent the accidental folding of the coop. The lid or cover 3 is also formed in two sections which meet along the longitudinal center of the coo and are hinged as shown at 15, so that the lid or cover sections may be swung outward and downward to lie alonside of the crate sides, as shown in Fig. 4, preparatory to folding the crate.

Secured to the upper faces of the top crossbars 5 are keepers 16, the said keepers being arranged centrally of thel crossbars-`5 and adapted to receive the opposite ends of a lock 17 in the form of a flat bar or slat of sufficient width to overlap the meeting ends of the bar or cross-bars are received betweenthe adl cleats 18 to which the slats which compose the lid or cover sections are secured. When the locking slat 17 is in place, it holds down the inner edges of the cover sections, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Another locking slat 19 extends over the lower Hoor or bottom of the crate, engaging and holding down the inner adjacent edges of the bottom sections 9, as shown in Fig. 3, the opposite ends of said locking slat being retained 1n place by means of keepers 20 consisting of short crossbars secured to the slats of which the ends of the coop or crate are composed. The locking slats 17 and 19 not only serve to hold the cover and floor sections in place, but alsoact as additional braces to prevent the tendency of the coop or crate to fold or collapse.

In order to fold the coop or crate, the lid or cover sections 3 are swung outward and downward alongside of the crate sides, as shown in Fig. 4, after first removing the locking slat 17. The intermediate licor sections 13 are then elevated and folded against the inside of the crate sides, as shown in Fig. 4, after which ,the lower locking slat 19 is removed and the lower iioor sections 9 are folded upward against ythe sides of the coop, as shown in the same figure, 4. This leaves the sides and ends of the coop free to be folded iiatwise together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5, thus completing the folding operation and rendering the coop or crate as a whole compact for storage and transportation purposes.

I claim:

i The herein described plate comprising corner posts of rectangular cross section, sides permanently secured to said posts, ends provi ed with upper and lower cross bars pivoted to said osts, a bottom comprising two sections, eac pivoted at its end to said posts, cross bars to prevent said bottom sections from swinging outwardly, and an intermediate i'loor between the top and bottom of the crate comprising sections pivoted at their ends to said posts to swing upwardly, a cover in two sections hinged at opposite sides ofthe crate, a removable locking slat having its ends engaged by keepers, and cross bars to prevent the downward movement of said intermediate floor sections. i

ln testimony whereof, I aHiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES B. TREAT. Witnesses:

H. O. PERROTT, W. W. TREAT. 

